The Right Chamber

In this episode, we meet Laura James, Undergraduate Assistant Manager, and Courtnie Griffiths, Fifth Year Undergraduate Coordinator, who share insights into the vital work of the Ron Grimley Undergraduate Centre at Russells Hall Hospital. Their team supports medical students and trainees from the University of Birmingham, Aston University, and Three Counties Medical School—coordinating placements,...

In this insightful episode, we meet Jill Faulkner, Associate Director of Patient Experience, who shares her extensive experience and the vital role she plays in supporting both patients and staff. With a career in the NHS spanning over 30 years—eight of them at Dudley—Jill provides a behind-the-scenes look at the work involved in patient experience and complaints management. Jill discusses her bro...

In this episode, Dr Adrian Jennings, a consultant anaesthetist at The Dudley Group since 2013, shares insights into his career and the evolving role of anaesthesiology. Initially pursuing a path in internal medicine, Adrian shifted to anaesthetics after realising he preferred the focused, hands-on nature of the specialty. He now specialises in vascular anaesthesia, preoperative assessment, and eme...

In this episode, microbiologist Dr. Elizabeth Rees shares her journey and reflections from her 26-year career at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust. Originally from Birmingham and trained in the West Midlands, Liz began her consultant role in 1999 and has since taken on multiple responsibilities including Infection Control Doctor and Chief of Community and Core Clinical Services. The focus of t...

In this powerful episode, we welcome back Dr. Richard Alleyne, a palliative care consultant, to delve deeper into the world of end-of-life medicine and what drew him to this vital yet often misunderstood field. Listeners are taken on a reflective journey through Richard’s early days as a GP trainee and the profound personal experience that led him to shift paths toward palliative care. He shares t...

In this inspiring episode, we meet Mr Babar Elahi, an accomplished eye surgeon and the current Chief of Surgery for Women and Children at The Dudley Group. Babar shares the compelling story of his journey from Pakistan to the UK, detailing the challenges, pivots, and perseverance that shaped his career in ophthalmology. Starting his education in a prestigious military boarding school in Pakistan,...

In this insightful episode of the Right Chamber podcast, the conversation centres on clinical education, mentorship, and the importance of fostering a supportive learning environment for nursing students. Rob Louis, a seasoned nurse educator with a background in renal nursing, shares his journey from being a cadet in a distinctive mink green uniform to becoming a passionate advocate for best pract...

This episode offers a valuable insight into the evolving role of heart failure nurses and the advancements in heart failure treatment over recent decades. Guests Jacqui Elson-Whittaker and Glynis Whitefoot, both experienced heart failure nurses, share reflections on the early days of heart failure care in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when treatment options were limited and patient prognoses wer...

In this insightful episode of our podcast, we explore the transformative journey of locally employed doctors (LEDs) in the UK healthcare system. Hosted by Dr Victor Adeyera and Dr Jasprit Kaur, we are joined by Dr Tamar Saeed, a consultant in endocrinology, and Dr Sumaira Malik, a locally employed doctor, who share their experiences and perspectives on improving the working conditions and training...

The medical profession is known for its high-pressure environment, demanding workload, and emotional challenges. But what can be done to better support doctors as they navigate these pressures? In this episode, we sit down with Dr Richard Alleyne, a palliative medicine consultant at The Dudley Group, to discuss the critical issue of well-being in medicine. Richard shares his insights into the uniq...

In this episode, we explore the critical link between procurement and sustainability in the NHS, uncovering how clinical purchasing decisions directly impact the journey toward net-zero emissions. Our guests Clare Nash and Ninette Harris, experts in procurement and sustainability, discuss the pressing need to reduce the NHS’s carbon footprint—62% of which comes from the products, services, a...

In this episode of The Right Chamber, we were delighted to welcome Dr Jane Dale, Chief of Medicine at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust. Having started as a junior house officer at Russells Hall Hospital 35 years ago, Dr Dale has seen many changes within the organisation. We dive into the challenges facing resident doctors today, from low morale to the pressures of training in an ever-demandin...

Dr Victor Adeyera and Dr Jasprit Kaur present the seventh episode of The Right Chamber. In this episode, consultant radiologist, Dr Min Yen Wong, shares invaluable insights for resident doctors and trainees on how to make effective radiological imaging requests. Discover the best practices, common pitfalls to avoid, and Dr Wong’s candid thoughts on request “pet peeves.” Perfect f...

Dr Victor Adeyera and Dr Jasprit Kaur present the fifth episode of the Right Chamber. In this episode, core surgical trainee, Dr Omar Mostafa, spoke to us about his career path, working in trauma and orthopaedics and his love for all things aviation. If there is anything you would like us to cover in future episodes, or you would like to express an interest in appearing as a guest, please contact...

  Dr Victor Adeyera and Dr Jasprit Kaur present the fifth episode of the Right Chamber. In this episode, third year medical student, Katie Crabb, gives an interesting insight into her experiences during her first hospital placement at Russells Hall Hospital. If there is anything you would like us to cover in future episodes, or you would like to express an interest in appearing as a guest, please...

Dr Victor Adeyera and Dr Jasprit Kaur present the fourth episode of the Right Chamber. In this episode, third year medical student, Ivan Abbott, speaks about his experiences of imposter syndrome and the coping mechanisms and strategies he has developed to address such occurrences. If there is anything you would like us to cover in future episodes, or you would like to express an interest in appear...

Dr Victor Adeyera and Dr Jasprit Kaur present the third episode of the Right Chamber. In this episode, two current FY2 resident doctors, Dr Omar Eymech and Dr Zarin Salehin, speak about their combined experiences within their FY1 year. They discuss what key takeaways they took from that, and the life changes as a result of moving from being a medical student to a resident doctor. If there is anyth...

Dr Eby Nwokedi and Dr Shah Aftab present the second edition of the Right Chamber podcast. In this episode, we speak to Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Miss Soha Sajid, about her experiences as a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon and her career progression. We hope you enjoy this episode. If there is anything you would like us to cover in future episodes of The Right Chamber, please contact us via our...

  Dr Eby Nwokedi and Dr Shah Aftab present the first of the Right Chamber podcasts. In this episode, we speak to Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Mrs Sandy Shiralkar, about her experiences as a woman working in surgery and her career to date. Originally from India, Sandy undertook her basic MBBS degree and masters degree, before coming to the UK to further her training at vascular centres in Wale...

  Dr Eby Nwokedi and Dr Shah Aftab present the first of the Right Chamber podcasts. In this episode, we speak to Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Mrs Sandy Shiralkar, about her experiences as a woman working in surgery and her career to date. Originally from India, Sandy undertook her basic MBBS degree and masters degree, before coming to the UK to further her training at vascular centres in Wale...